Walking on Clouds: Rossignol Women’s Chalet Shoes Review

Style and functionality can coexist with an expert-level product. Rossignol made no exception with the Chalet Shoes, a series of winter down booties with the support of a tennis shoe and the plushness of a house slipper.

While Rossignol is famously known for highly engineered skis, it also designs solid apparel and footwear, the Chalet included. With a high platform that keeps your feet elevated above the cold ground and lush synthetic insulation, these shoes have an opulent feel.

What I loved? The Chalet can be easily converted from an enclosed shoe to a slip-on simply by folding the heel flat. Furthermore, the interior is lined with faux fur that feels soft without extra bulk.

In short: The women’s Rossignol Chalet Shoes ($99) are a fashion-forward, insulated winter “down” bootie for casual indoor use. Rather than traditional down feathers, this bootie is stuffed with synthetic fill. They can be worn outdoors in the right wintry conditions — like packed snow and with socks covering the ankles in freezing conditions — and feel great to throw on after skiing or while relaxing at a campsite. I loved the thick outsole, cushioned footbed, and overall aesthetic. With a DWR-treated exterior, the Chalet keeps your feet relatively warm and dry in mild winter climates. It’s also available in a men’s version.

Check out the Best Down Booties buyer’s guide to see how this shoe stacks up.

Rossignol Women’s Chalet Shoe Review

At first glance, the Chalet Shoe reminds me of running shoes rather than winter down booties, due to the thicker midsole and rugged tread. However, once slipped on, these shoes feel more like a slipper than anything else. The fuzzy liner provides a sense of luxury. The platform outsole, which reminds me of a HOKA running shoe, makes for great support and extra shock absorption.

I tested these Rossignol winter booties over the course of a cold, wet Colorado winter near Aspen. These booties accompanied me to and from the ski hill and on countless dog walks around town. I also took them on a few excursions to my friend’s cabin in a remote mining town.

First Takeaways

The Chalet comes in a few different color options, including navy, gray, black, green and dusty pink. However, the pink option is the only one accented with a white sole, while the rest are monochromatic. While I love the chic pink-and-white combo, the darker outsole would be more conducive to hiding dirt or mud. The white is easily stained.

In terms of the size run, I appreciate that Rossignol released these in half sizes, so you can get a more perfect fit. Often, down booties and slippers are only available in whole sizes or general tiers — small, medium, or large — so the variety here is admirable. Folks can find sizes available from 5 to 9.5 for the women’s version, and 7.5 to 13 for the men’s.

Warmth & Synthetic Insulation: Winter ‘Down’ Booties

Now on to the nitty-gritty of these shoes: Are they actually warm? My overall answer is yes. While these shoes use synthetic insulation, I still found them to be nice and warm when I wore them around 30 degrees Fahrenheit or above.

The upper (where a sneaker’s tongue would normally be) utilizes a quilt pattern that helps keep your feet and toes warm. I found this to be effective, especially on walks at night when the temps dropped drastically and the snow began to fall. Additionally, the thicker midsole helped keep my feet elevated from the cold and frozen ground or excess moisture.

All said, the Chalet is not as warm as natural down booties, which are loftier and waterproof but have adequate insulation for a mild winter climate. If you live in the Southwest Region — like near Taos Ski Valley or Angel Fire Resort — that experiences chilly temperatures during the winter, these would probably be a perfect accessory. They aren’t necessarily made for use in heavy, deep snow or wild mud like the parking lot at Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

Materials & Sustainability

What I appreciate about the Chalet Shoes is Rossignol’s transparency when it comes to the materials and each product’s sustainability score.

Rossignol’s “Traceability Info” summarizes the country of origin for the textiles and manufacturing, any recycled materials that are used, transport distance, and the product’s sustainability scale.

The Chalet Shoes are mostly made with 100% nylon, plus elastic and Spandex for the hook and loop. The outsole is 100% natural rubber. And the interior liner is a synthetic blend with some cotton.

These shoes only score 1 out of 5 stars for recyclability and 3 out of 5 stars for traceability. Folks looking for a more eco-friendly down bootie may want to scope out other options. On the flip side, these shoes are durably made and will last through many seasons, based on how my field testing went over the winter season.

Outsole: Grippy Traction

The bottom tread of these winter “down” booties is 100% natural rubber, technical, and sticky for outdoor use.

When I walked across ice in these puppies, I was far less terrified than walking in other down booties. Many other models don’t come with this level of moderately aggressive tread. Sure, it’s not a winter hiking boot with deep lugs — but this comfy shoe is surprisingly stout!

Combined with a dense outsole and cushy midsole, these shoes are tailored for walking, camping, traveling, and hanging outside — not just hanging around the desk or kitchen.

Water Resistance

These winter “down” booties have a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) treated upper that helps keep moisture out and warmth in. For the most part, I felt that this water resistance was sufficient. But, I found that the toebox was less impervious than the rest of the shoe.

After just a few minutes of standing in some powdery snow, I felt that dreaded sensation encroach on my toes — cold and wetness. This was definitely a bummer. I live in an environment that sees a great deal of snow and moisture each winter.

As I said earlier, these shoes are fantastic for après drinks, taking off ski boots at the trailhead or parking lot, and strolls, just not in blustery weather or several inches of fresh snow. Folks needing a more technical down bootie might want to snag something else more moisture-hardy.

That said, the stacked outsole and midsole do help keep feet away from exposure to shallower puddles or a few centimeters of snow.

In Conclusion: Winter Booties With Style

After pulling these plush winter “down” booties on all winter, I found that the Rossignol Chalet Shoes are ideal for post-ski lounging, walks to and from the lodge, and dog walks or other indoor travel.

This winter shoe-meets-sliip-on is a nice-looking, well-made pair of “down” booties. The swappable insole is great for folks needing a custom fit. That durable tread provides enough grip for walking over slick surfaces, including wet sidewalks and ice. I appreciate that these come in a generous amount of colors and size options with men’s and women’s versions.

My main qualm with these shoes was the lack of water resistance in the toebox. The rest of the bootie warded off moisture well. But after feeling my toes become wet following a few minutes in a couple of inches of snow, I was a bit disappointed.

However, these booties are still a sufficient tool in wintry towns that aren’t as prone to high moisture or deep powder. You can also cherry-pick when you pull them on. They’re a great option for using post-ski or hot yoga class on the drive home. These slippers have a modern, sleek style that is also timeless without looking domestic.

Also, I really like how easy these are to pull on, and that they can convert from a slipper to a shoe in mere seconds. If you’re looking for a durable synthetic-filled bootie that’s lightweight and provides decent warmth without sacrificing style, check out the Rossignol Chalet Shoes.